Day 22

New Skill

Reputation Applied (R) lvl1

Rank: 2

Description: Reputation, Affection, Obedience, and loyalty are factored into this system application for people, groups, and organizations to track and benefit from all relationships. From leading armies to leading lovers to your bed, this is a rare but valuable skill. No longer will you see raw confusing numbers their opinions will be known from -10 to 10 for all scales. Skills and other rewards can be acquired from certain individuals or organizations by reaching the highest or lowest numbers.

Kitsunite Empire -10 Archenemy

New Item

The Substance: An elixir of concentrated fell energy used to stimulate a rank to change into a higher tier in the same rank. Without the proper dosage and preparations, using this item will stop the growth of the user.

A vial of a black chemical fell into my hand. My second Skill Fusion lasted less than 30 minutes, which was good; all the skills were generally the same type. I even learned a little more about the symbols and mathematics of skills. Not enough to make my own yet, but I was getting better at understanding what I was working with. I was still hesitant to work with my planned Berserk fusion.

Many of my skills were like pieces from very different jigsaw puzzles. I would have to edit them thoroughly to get anything good out of them. Berserk would be saved for last if I could help it. From this point on, I needed to plan out which skills I learned and what I planned to do with them.

For the first time since finding out about my class and gaining my skills, I felt mentally in the driver’s seat. I wasn’t completely back to what I would call normal, but with a few more skill fusions, I should begin recovering.

Even as sane as I was confident I had become, the smell of loot was too tempting to stop me from finishing my work. It could have been my skills still altering my mind like narcotics, but I felt more than a little confident I could finish this fight.

…

Dr. Raito felt his old heart hammer into his chest as he carefully cut off slivers of a glowing green pill. He called the substance Laminarian, and it was the secret to bringing out the full power of the substance. Using slivers from the green stone, he mixed it with the substance and boiled down the substance to combine it. He ran the Laminarian through electrical currents and exotic acids, all to test out his remaining six tries before the Calamity finished its break.

6 enchanters worked tirelessly to use cutting-edge techniques invented during lessons learned from this procedure to add less invasive engravings on Empress Akane’s bones and organs. Using the natural staining of the substance in the etching, they could prep the body with low doses. Slightly discolored tissue grew in places etched, causing less damage to the organs than scar tissue. Given only a few years or a decade, they could have safely perfected the process and achieved the true heights of their limits.

Parts of the surgeries on 6 through one were finished with the new method 1 would have most of his internal organs free of scars. He had learned much from these experiments, and his staff knew what to do moving forward. Even his second in command could finish this operation. Dr. Raito knew it was the right time to make his escape. The only one capable of giving orders left was the minister.

The only question was, with no one left to witness the Minister’s act, would he remain a nationalist servant of the empress, or was he like Raito, a survivor.

“We are lucky.” Minister Farnsworth said.

Pale pink skin showed in places on the battle chicken’s body as stress wore him down. He was truly useless hear and would serve better as food.

“I want to go under the knife as well.” Minister Farnsworth said.

“The dangers for you are far greater, and our surgeons aren’t trained for your species.” Dr. Raito said.

“The butchers that evacuated in time are waiting with their families in the bunker between us and the Calamity. They know my anatomy, and surely, in my genome, there is the possibility of falling within the ranks. What did you test your substance on before you used it on the guard? It could only be chimera rabbits or battle chickens.” The minister said.

On the inside, the doctor felt like victory was at hand. Even in this failure, he could still manipulate nationalistic fools. “Both, but your kind had only a 30% chance for success before the operation was optimized for Kitsunites.” Dr. Raito said.

He saw it in the bird’s eyes, the fanatical desire to be at Akane’s side. After the 1st rose from the table, Akane would only need so many doctors. Too many cooks in the kitchen were a hindrance. Dr. Raito knew of some procedures that hadn’t been used yet that could show promise. Before Akane rose, this rooster would allow them a final test of what they had learned. Akane would awaken with the best chance possible.

…

Hachi, the 8th Praetorian guard to the empress Akane, did not remember his name. This was the second time he lived through one of the doctor’s experiments, and the results were disconcerting. Fell energy clung to his body like a cloak of darkness as he stared at himself. Part of his head had changed losing his natural golden fur replaced with pink flesh and bone shaped like the Calamity’s. Was this their fate to reach the strength of their opponent? Did they need to become them, and then what was the point?

A fist of hardened fell crystal lashed out, shattering the mirror before he could raise his arm. That was something he needed to get used to. He wasn’t only stronger than before. The fell was so dense in his body, and around it, he could condense it into a hardened substance. The possibilities were endless, with every breath fell poured from his lungs and charged through his blood. It was the kind of power that legends were made of.

“No, fair. I wanted to look at myself.”

Nana’s once perfectly foxy skull had changed, elongating into a shape like the Calamity’s and growing long dark hair contrasted with her red fur. She had another set of ears on either side of her skull, and her body was immense. Her arms had elongated and grown sharp talon-like claws. A pair of fly wings stretched out of her back, and her tails merged into a single jagged thing with a stinger at the end. Long pincers stretched out on either side of her jaws, casually cleaning her teeth as she smiled into a broken mirror.

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This was for their nation; no matter what the cost, they would see the Calamity defeated or die trying. “I’m hungry. Do you think we could stop by the kitchens and get something to eat?” Nana asked.

Her tail whipped back and forth, spraying small drops of a clear substance that did nothing when it touched leather and fabrics. It was a fell liquid of sorts since the substance was given to her orally. Hypothesis ran rampant as the meth-addled scientists tried to make sense of an acid that was completely subjective. The acid only dissolved what Nana wanted it to and lubricated everything else, like mineral oil. It was frightening to see the speed and power she could deploy in her horrific body.

They tracked the scent of the Calamity to Minister Farnsworth’s office. On a blackboard were drawings of strange images and mathematical equations. The Calamity continued to draw with chalk, uncaring of their presence. Nana did the unthinkable and coughed loudly.

“I’ll kill you both in a minute; this is more important.” The Calamity said.

Hachi felt stunned, and Nana unexpectedly chuckled. Then she reached for a can of blood eels stacked on the desk.

“Oh yeah, help yourself. I definitely brought that food for you.”

“Let him work. Time is our friend; the cyclones can’t last forever.” Nana said.

“You look like a learned individual,” Hachi said.

It was a lie; the Calamity was wearing a curtain and didn’t seem to mind the breeze between his legs.

“Feces, this isn’t working.” The Calamity said.

“Maybe go back to the basics,” Nana said between mouthfuls of eel. The spike at the end of her tail widened into a clenching monstrosity of acid and flesh that she used as a funnel to pour more canned blood eel into herself. “These taste amazing.”

“Surrender, and I’ll not only let you both live I’ll make you members of my tribe. You won’t have to fight anymore unless you want to, and you’ll have all the food you can eat.” The Calamity said.

“We are loyal to the nation your offer is disgusting.” He would never say it aloud, but freedom was tempting, if only for a moment.

“What if the food I wanted to eat most is you?” Nana asked.

Then you’re doomed. Hachi threw the first blow with a spear made of condensed fell, piercing the Calamity. Then the Calamity vanished, and four blades seemed to come at him at once. He blew a stream of fell from his lungs and lunged to take the offensive. A spray of acid from Nana followed behind his attack.

He felt pain in his arm then nothing before hearing something drop on the floor.

…

My opponents lacked the last one’s animalist ferocity and didn’t make up for it in tactics. While their skills were impressive, I wasn’t the same. Sky Fiend Blood Apotheosis was a complete improvement over the previous skills. The Avatar skill mixed into it gave me a passive boost that would only grow more powerful with time and the more blood I stored in my Blood Temple.

I raised my hand, and blood from the fox’s wound drained faster than before as I pulled it out of him. They were on par with the fox I fought last and smarter. The only problem was I had already improved again.

“Are you sure you don’t want to change sides? I could offer you a whole new world. You can’t beat me; all you’re doing is ensuring your suffering.” I said.

I punched the insectoid fox. She fell back too slow and frail to stand against my blow. That was the reason I felt comfortable offering deals and mercy.

Nana Obedience -10 to -9

“What exactly are you offering?” Nana said.

“You can’t be serious.” The other one said.

The fox clutched at his still bleeding stump as I pulled blood from between his fingers. It vanished into my blood storage. There was also the substance that flowed with it, but it broke up and diffused among the vast quantities of blood in my possession.

“What choice is there? We were sent to our deaths to buy time. I’m tired of being used by a country that doesn’t value me.” Nana said.

“All you’ve ever cared about is food and fighting for our country.” The other fox said.

“Hachi, it's nothing personal, but I see the way the wind blows. We’re isolated, and he defeated us with no effort. We were rushed jobs, and I want to live. My name is Nana, Mr. Calamity; what’s your offer.” Nana asked.

“I’m open to negotiation, and you seem well worth your weight in information. While I don’t mind waiting for my enemies to send your people one at a time until none are left and then cleaning up, I’m on a time crunch. So what do you think saving me time is worth?” I asked.

“I want to be your minister of trade or the closest command position that resembles it. Are there benefits to joining besides your promises? Breeding rights, land, and building privileges must be decided here. What about skills? There was a ban on us restraining the number and type of skills we could acquire. Are you more liberal with skill shards?”

“Tamer skills are banned, and that is the only restriction. If you want a skill and we have it in stock, you can have it. Purchasing skills on the open market but receive my permission unless you use your own money. Breed with whoever or whatever you want, I have tons of land, and I would love it if you built your own home, no matter what it looked like. How does a 50-acre lot sound to you?” I said.

“I see. Are you willing a write a contract now and seal our cooperation.”

“This is a mistake; he’ll betray you; this is the Calamity. You are being controlled; you’ve never been this cold before.” The other fox said.

I produced a contract through the system AI and quickly produced a holographic copy.

Nana

Reputation -10 to -5 Better than child kidnappers

Affection -10 to -9 A Useful Tool

Obedience -9 to 1 Under Contract

Loyalty -10 to 1 Bought not Forced

I walked over to my back and pulled free numerous skill shards. “These can be yours free of charge and restriction. But first, use your tail and consume your partner.” I said.

“I see you want a demonstration of loyalty,” Nana said.

“No, I want you to take his power and into yourself and finish more of your transformation,” I said.

“You’re suggesting cannibalism,” Nana said.

She looked at him pensively and licked her lips. This wasn’t really about loyalty; I wanted to see how powerful she could become. Monsters consuming other monsters was just par for the course.

“This is natural for what you’ve become, I think,” I said.

I smiled as the fox’s eyes widened as her tail opened to consume him.

…

Dr. Raito understood that his creations were liable to betray him no matter the strings attached to them. As he watched Nana devour Hachi, he looked on at 6th, a powerful brute with an aura of fell energy following him around like a cloak. He sent out the most powerful Praetorian guard yet. He began the long process of collecting the battle data before leaving for the secret elevator while everyone was distracted.

There was, in fact, a single item in the treasury that could see a single individual free of the dungeon. In the explosion that killed the emperor and cost him most of his face, fur, and ears, Dr. Raito secured it. With his current battle data and blueprints, he could set up anywhere.

…

From the guard’s drop, a token appeared made of bronze with +1 Affection placed on one side and +2 Obedience on the back. The instructions that came with the coin were clear. So I flipped it. It landed on affection.

Nana Affection -9 to -8 Reliable Tool

Her body changed; the wings on her back grew a little more, her tail thickened, and her face took on a more human appearance.

Nana Obedience 1 to 2 You Bring Dividends.

“Traitor, I’ve come to bring you down, feces-eating rabbit lover.” A guard with a 6 on his shoulder said.

Acid sprayed, and the two fought.

“The nation betrayed me first. I remember who I was before.” Nana said.

“Well, now you’re nothing.” The 6th guard said.

The two fought in a battle of pure strength until Nana used her tail and stabbed him in the leg. “You horrible shrew.”

“Use your acid to blind him, then attack him one joint at a time until he falls.” Nana spat in the other fox’s eye, and I watched the organ melt out of the socket.

The other fox looked normal except for an aura of fell wrapped around him. I thought about stepping in but decided to let Nana handle it. This was her job as my monster, after all. A sudden devastating punch sent her reeling before her tail pierced her opponent’s chest. I watched as she injected wave after wave of acid into the shallow hole she made in his body.

The fox started shaking before he punched Nana with all his might, dealing blow after blow. Her tail rose up and slammed into him while she played defense with her arms. When the fox died, another coin dropped, giving her +2 Affection.

Nana Affection -7 Favored Tool

I liked this new skill better already.

“Do you want me to eat this one too?” Nana asked.

“It's for the best. You need all the help you can get.” I said.

“I’m strong; why should I continue this barbaric act.”

“This is your best chance to grow into the best you can become before rank 3. We should backtrack and let you absorb the remains of the other one.” I said.

She looked positively mutinous, and if I didn’t handle it well, I was going to lose some reputation points.

“What does this mean to you?” Nana asked.

I tapped my chin in thought for a long moment before snapping my fingers. “It’s an important step in my development. Learning when to adopt a monster and when not to is important. Before, I thought I would snag the empress, but then I saw your tail and appearance. I think you’re a much better peak rank 2 than whatever she ends up becoming. If I’m wrong, then I guess I’ll take her as well.” I said.

“We signed a contract,” Nana said.

Without having access to courts in the Rasputin territory, it wasn’t very binding. But it was the spirit of the thing that mattered.

“It is binding; I can’t break it without consequences. Taking Akane doesn’t mean I don’t take you as well.” I said.

Personally, I think I liked Nana.

Nana

Reputation -5 to -4 Good Faith

Affection -7 to -6 Stranger